Pest or Perseverance

By Tim Dunne

When you call a prospective client to request a meeting for the first time, the primary rule is, have something useful to say. It’s data they might be interested in. It’s a transaction that is similar to one they did or might do. It’s a problem they might share, that you’ve already solved. It’s data information or research that might be relevant, or it’s how you are connected or linked to them. (It’s also best if you can pre-deliver this info.) That’s the legwork that makes a cold call less chilly.

Once you know what you are going to say that’s either potentially useful to them, or connects you to them (or both), then you’re ready to call.

Before you call take five minutes to practice what you want to say and how you want to say it. Write it down. Read it. Say it. Say it without reading it, from memory. Then get your calendar, a pen, and we suggest making the call in the morning. (But that depends on you and, something that’s difficult to know at this point, how they use their day.)

“Hi Jon, this is Tim Wills at Berenger. I know you through Bill Stern at the K of C Club. Berenger developed a new add-on to our product that you should know is out there. I’m going to be in St Louis in three weeks. Can we meet for 30 minutes?”

When Jon says “yes,” make the date and get off the phone. Your goal is to meet your new client face to face. Save your ideas and thoughts for the meeting itself when you are better prepared.

The chances you get Jon on your first try are pretty slim. Even after eight bounces to voicemail, assume that every call you make will be the one that is picked up by your client prospect. Even on your ninth call, you still do a quick in-your-head rehearsal. And, you haven’t left eight messages, especially on voice mail. That’s a great way to lower yourself to pest status. You might have left one or two so your client knows you are calling to set up a meeting, delivering on the promise you made in your initial correspondence.

Preparing to make the meeting request call is one of the differences between being a pest and persevering.

Good Luck!

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Hurson and Dunne do an admirable job of equipping sales professionals with effective strategies… from creating scripts and establishing credibility, to securing the meeting and setting criteria. They show how to capitalize on every step from the waiting room to small talk, maximizing opportunities to learn about a potential client and their needs. These easy-to-apply principles and tools help deliver real value to prospects and increase the odds for sales success. --Publishers Weekly, April 28, 2014